Drum.



M. A. WINTRICH.

DRUM. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 22,1918- Patented Jan. 7, 1919.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MAXIMILIAN A. WINTRICH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DRUM.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itkn'own that I, MAXIMILIAN A. WIN- TRICH, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented new' headcan properly respond to the vibrationsof the batter head. In prior arrangements provision is made forindependent adjustment of the heads but such independent adjustment canbe accomplished only in a laborious'manner. Forexample inPatent No.1,254,756 issued January 29th, 1918, to T. Wilson, independentadjustment can be made to obtain different relative tensions in theheads but such adjusting operation requires the turning to diflerentdegrees of the setting stems connected with the respec tivehoops and theoperation is therefore laborious and uncertain.

One important object of my invention is to provide improved means forsimplifying and making more certain the relative adjustment of the drumheads. To get the best results the tension'of the batter head should begreater than that of the snare head, that is, the batter head should bemore tautand the snare head should be more free to respond to thevibrations of the batter head. To accomplish this I provide apluralityof tension adjusting units for the drum, each ofwhich units hasa greater number of contacts with the batter head hoop than with thesnare head hoop, the increased number of contacts on the batterside hoopcausing more equal distribution of the transverse adjusting pull on thehoop and consequently increased tightening of the batter head, the

spaces of the hoop between contactsbeing so short'that the hoop must atall points follow the pull of i the adjusting units. I have found thatadjusting. units properly spaced- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 7 1 919.

Application filed June 22, 1918. Seria1 No.241,332.

and having each two engagements with the batter side hoop for oneengagement with the snare side hoop give very eflicient'results. Withsuch arrangement the proper relative tension of the heads can beautomatically accomplished by turning each setting stem the samedistance.

On the accompanying drawing I show a construction and arrangement whichembody the above and other features of my invention. On the drawing-Figure 1 is a side elevational view'of a drum, I

Fig. 2 is an enlarged front elevational view of one of the adjustingunits with parts thereof in section,

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on plane33',

Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4: is an interior view of. a section of the drum showing the mannerof connecting the units thereto.

On the drawing, 10 represents the'cylindrical drum shell over whoseedges the batter head 11 and snare head 12' are stretched to be held inplace by their respective hoops 13 and 14 with which the tensioningmechanism engages.

Each tensioning unit comprises a horizontal bar or yoke 15 having thestuds 16 and 17 extending inwardly from its ends to be secured againstthe outer face of the shell in a preferred mannerto be described later.At the center of thebar 15 is the conical pocket 18' for receiving theconical head 19 of a sleeve or tube 20 which is internally threaded forthe reception of an" adjusting stem 21. The adjusting stem extendsthrough the opening 22in the lug 23, which lug is on the plate 24 whoseouter end 25 engages around the outer edge of the snare head 14. 'On thestem 21 is a collar 26 which abuts against the outer face-of the lug 23,and the outer end 27 of the stem. is polygonal for the reception of asocket key.

Through the ends of the bar 15 are the coni cal pockets 28 and 29respectively for receiving the conical heads 30 and 31 of the interiorlythreaded tubes 32 and 33. In these tubes the adjusting stems 34 and 35,re.-

spectively, engage, these stems extending through the lugs 36 and37 onthep'latesc3'8 and 39 which hook over the outer edge of the batterheadhoop 13. These stems have collars 40 and 41, respectively, and thepolyg onal key receiving ends 42 and 43. To prevent turning of thethreaded sleeves when the stems are turned, their conical heads arepreferably knurled or toothed and thereceiving pockets in the bar 15 arecorrespondingly knurled or toothed. Such arrangement permits the tubesto be readily withdrawn and will hold them rigidly against turningwhen-they are inserted in the pockets during the adjusting operation. 4

Each unit has thus one connection with the snare side hoop and twoconnections with the batter side hoop, and the units are so spacedaround the drum and the length of the bars 15 is such that the spaces ofthe hoop 13 between the points of engagement of the adjusting cientlyshort to prevent any material trans verse give or distortion of the hoopso that the adjusting pull on this hoop will be practicallyuniform,which results in uniform distribution of tension on the batter head. Onthe snare side of the drum where there are only one-half as manyadjusting con tacts the section of the hoop between the contacts aremore free to give and the tension on'the snare head wlll not be so1lI11-.

form. When the drum is first adjusted the stems for both sides areturned the proper distances to produce the proper relative ten- 7 sionin the heads, the adjustment of the batter head being such that it willgive the proper vibration when struck, and therelative adjustment of thesnare head being such that this head can most efficiently respond to thevibrations of the batter head. After such first adjustment or setting ofthe drum slight future adjustment, which will be nec essary on accountof weather or atmosphere changes, can be very easily made by turningeach stem the same distance, such equal turning resulting automaticallyin maintenance of the proper relative tension of the heads. This, ofcourse, is a very simple and efficient procedure as the drummer needonly turn eachstem the same distance.

In drums where the shell of metal it is desirable to eliminate metalliccontact between the adjusting units and the shell in order to eliminateas much as possibleany metallic ringing noise when the drum is played. Apreferred connection between the bars 15 and the drum shell is shown inrigs. 3 and 4, where washers 44 and45 of deadening material, such asfiber, are inserted between the studs on the bars and the heads ofscrews 46 which extend through enlarged'openings 47 in the shell, thesescrews preferably extending from the inside of the drum through theseopenings:

and into the studs, the drum; shell. being then securely clamped betweenthe fiber units are sutfr' and hoops are the snare side hoop, the ratioof contacts for each'unit may be dilferent. Other changes andmodifications may also be made without departing from the scope of theinvention.

I claim as follows:

1. In a drum, the combination with the shell, the batter and snareheads, and the hoops, of tensioning units arranged around the shell,each unit comprising a support anchored to the shell and longitudinallyadjustable arms extending therefrom into engagement with the hoops, eachunit having more arms in engagement with the batter head hoop than withthe snare head hoop.

2. In a drum, the combination with the shell, the batter and snareheads, and the hoops, of tension adjusting units spaced around theshell, each unit comprising a bar anchored to said shell and adjust-abletensionconnections between the bar and the hoops, there being a greaternumber of such connections to the batter head hoop than to the snarehead hoop.

8-1m a drum, the combination with the shell, the batter and snare heads,and the tension hoops, of tensioning units anchored to said shell andhaving connection at their outer ends with the hoops, there being agreater number of units for. the batter head hoop than for the snarehead hoop.

4.- In a drum, the combination with the shell, the batter and snareheads, and the hoops, of a plurality of tensioning units ,spacedaroundthe shell, each unit comprising a bar anchored to the shell, longituvdinally adjustable arms extending from the ends of said bar intoengagement with the batter side hoop and one arm extending from anintermediate part of the bar and into engagement with the snare sidehoop.

5. In a drum, the combination with the shell, the batter and snareheads, and the hoops, of tensioning mechanism comprising a bar anchoredto the shell, said bar having 7 a conical pocket, an internally threadedsleeve having a conical head engaging in said pocket, a stem threadingin said sleeve and anchored to one of said hoops, said stem being.rotatable and forming a longitudinally adjustable structure with said"sleeve by virtue of its threaded engagement therewith,said pocket andconical head being knurled whereby rotation of said sleeve is preventedwhen said stem isturnedi 1 6..In a drum," the combination with theshell, the batter and snare heads, and the hoops, of tensioningmechanism comprising turning of said link in said pocket, said a baranchored to the shell, a longitudinally other link being rotatable andanchored to adjustable tensioning arm comprising two one of said hoops.10 links threaded together, said bar having a In Witness whereof, Ihereunto subscribe 5 conical pocket and one of said links having my namethis 20th day of'June, A. D., 1918.

a conical head engaging in said pocket, said pocket and head beingknurled to prevent MAXIMILIAN WINTRICH.

Copies of .this patent may be obtained for live cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0."

